Post navigation

3D printing technology and injection molding technology, both compete with each other. When utilized in synergy, however, these technologies deliver exceptional results. 3D printing and injection molding both help in rapid prototyping as well as in new product development. Despite the trend for different kinds of 3D printing processes is rising, the actual product manufacturing is done with injection molding. On the other hand, 3D printing proves to be a more effective and popular approach for rapid prototyping.

If you want to learn specifically about 3D printing, read this blog. If you want to learn specifically about injection molding, read this blog. If you just want a quick comparison between 3D printing and injection molding, then continue reading.

3D Printing & Injection Molding

Well now, what is the difference between 3D printing and injection molding? 3D printing and injection molding are both completely different. There are different types of 3D printing techniques, but among them, the most prevalent one is Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM). The FDM 3D printing technique works by melting the material, commonly plastic, and shaping an object by ejecting the molten material, one drop at a time in succession. The FDM 3D printer follows inputs from a design file, created by the CAD software, and basically “prints” the object layer by layer.

Injection molding, on the other hand, works by melting the material and injecting it with pressure into a pre-designed metal mold. The mold, usually of steel or aluminum, has a cavity of a certain shape in which the molten material is forcefully filled. The molten material in the cavity of the mold stays for a while to cool and harden. Once the material is sufficiently cool, the mold opens, and the material is ejected, as a definite object.

What about the time? 3D printing a single object takes considerable time than a single injection mold cycle. In order to 3D print a complex object, it might take many hours. Whereas, injection molding can produce the same object in a matter of minutes, provided that there is a definite mold for the object, made and available beforehand.

What about the cost? Injection molding, especially for a basic object or part, is substantially more expensive than 3D printing. When it comes to new product development, you first need to design the prototype of your product. In the case of 3D printing, this prototype design will be the first and last step. Once you have the prototype design, all you need to do is upload it to the 3D printer and press “print.” In a matter of minutes or hours, depending on the complexity, you will have your part ready.

In the case of injection molding, prototype design is the first step. After prototype design, the next step is designing and creating a definitive steel or aluminum mold, which helps produce the part. Making this mold is actually very expensive. Nevertheless, with the mold ready, you will be able to create numerous identical parts, which may prove economical in the long run.

What is the future of product manufacturing? Now, one thing is certain, the 3D printing technology is advancing quickly. Currently in the market, there are different types of 3D printers available. Among those, the most common type is a Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D printer. FDM can efficiently 3D print plastic parts. It does prove to be ideal and economical for creating plastic parts for product prototypes.

When used in conjunction with injection molding, however, the overall product development or product manufacturing will prove to be efficient and cost-effective. For product prototype development, you should use 3D printing. After developing the prototype and enhancing it to make it free from any defect or error and ready for mass production, you should employ injection molding, through which you can manufacture parts in bulk quantity, swiftly and inexpensively.

New product development is never easy. It demands significant time, money, efforts, and resources. A coherent approach to new product development, however, can ease the heartache of manufacturing new products.

Need help with new product design and product development? Get in touch with GID Development Corporation today. GID Development Corporation is one of the leading product development companies in the US. Based in California, GID Development Corporation provides agile and economical product design, rapid prototyping, product development, product manufacturing, and other product fulfillment services.

No matter how complex the conceived gadget or product is, GID Development Corporation, an expert product development company in California, will help you realize it. To learn more about GID Development Corporation, visit http://www.gidcompany.com/.

Product prototype development is one of the most crucial steps in the life-cycle of new product development. As the need to build product prototypes faster increased, better techniques were developed, which eventually lead to the inception of rapid prototyping.

Developed by 3D Systems, a company providing comprehensive 3D products and services, rapid prototyping today has revolutionized the product design and development industry, allowing innovators, product designers, industrial engineers, and product manufacturers to rethink their product development approach.

Rapid Prototyping – What is it?

Rapid prototyping is a bundle of techniques, which help in crafting various materials, including plastics and metals, into models that represent the product concept. Rapid prototyping gives innovators, product designers, and industrial engineers the ability to hold, feel, and test as many product prototypes as they need in order to make the final product fully functional and safe to use. Rapid prototyping has ousted the need for conventional casting, molding, or machining in the manufacturing process.

Rapid prototyping is a common term for the process that quickly fabricates a conceived object or product with the help of three-dimensional (3D), computer-aided design (CAD) data. The 3D CAD data is uploaded to a special machine or printer that swiftly constructs the required component. The popular term, “3D Printing” is a prevalent example of the rapid prototyping technique.

Advantages of Rapid Prototyping

Due to its ability to construct an object or product quickly with the help of computer data, rapid prototyping is a resourceful tool to build product prototypes in a faster and more efficient way. Innovators rely on product prototypes to prove that their concept really works. By being able to develop their conceived item swiftly, innovators are able to share the concept efficiently with potential stakeholders and manufacturers in a real, tangible form. This is an essential step, also known as “Proof of Concept,” and it is quickly becoming an important standard in the new product development process.

Product prototypes also play a very vital role in detecting any design defects prior to the product manufacturing process. In order to eliminate design defects completely, numerous product prototypes are needed, and rapid prototyping is just able to do that, in a swift and efficient manner. After rapid prototyping an item, defects are detected, which are then corrected, and again a new prototype is created. The process is perpetual until all the design defects are eliminated. Product development companies that employ rapid prototyping techniques are eventually saving their clients substantial sums in product development by repeatedly and swiftly delivering a number of product prototypes, which are worked upon to make the final product better.

Although not a core part of the product development process today, rapid prototyping has begun to help shape and reshape the approach towards new product manufacturing. The revolutionary techniques are making things easier for product prototype development. Product designers, industrial engineers, product development companies, and product manufacturers who have embraced these contemporary techniques are already helping their clients (the innovators) in a much better way.

Need help with rapid prototyping? Perhaps with product design or product development or product manufacturing? Contact GID Development Corporation today.

We are a leading product development company in California, US, and we provide fast, efficient, and economical product design, rapid prototyping, product manufacturing, and other product fulfillment services.

At GID Development Corporation, our product designers, industrial engineers, and other personnel have vast experience and knowledge in bringing product concepts to life. No matter how complex a conceived product is, we will bring it to reality. Whether it is developing an electromechanical product, electrical product, electronic product, mechanical product, medical device product, or any other novel product, we will “GET IT DONE!”

While all the steps in new product development are important, one particular step demands more focus. It is the product design step. One of the primary steps in new product development cycle, product design of the conceived product factors toward the success of the final product. Product design affects the manufacturability as well as the cost of manufacturing too! For that reason, a little more attention is needed when designing a product.

Here are top three tips to consider when designing a product. The tips are based on our years of experience in the field of product design and development and are overall the best tips to take into consideration as you begin your venture into new product development.

Keep it Simple

Keep the design of your conceived product as simple as possible. The best product designs are those that just form a seamless connection between function and design. If the design of your product is complicated, it will be difficult to manufacture it. It will also increase the cost of manufacturing. Apart from these issues, if such a complicatedly-designed product is brought into the market, the potential customers will probably alienate it, resulting in total failure of the product. The goal of a good product design is to entice customers with an ergonomically-friendly design that seems easy to use.

For product design, it is best to team up with an intelligent team that can create a simple, yet attractive and functional design that allows easy and economical manufacturing.

Research

There is no need to reinvent the wheel! In fact, customers often prefer that you do not reinvent the wheel. Before designing your product, it is necessary that you conduct an extensive market research. Find out the competitors’ products that are on the market. See which features the customers like and dislike for those products. You would want your product to have only likable features – right?

When conducting the research, note down all the new features and functions you can implement in the design of your conceived product. Also, keep in mind that you do not change certain things that are familiar to the customers. For instance, it would be a terrible idea to change the order of the accelerator, brake, and clutch (ABC) in a car. People are already familiar with the default pattern, and changing it will result in instant rejection.

Prototyping and Testing

Although, product prototyping and testing are two entirely different steps that come later down in the product development cycle, they do have a connection with the product design phase. Product prototyping and testing make it possible to detect flaws or defects in the product design. Therefore, you need to create prototypes so that they can be tested to find flaws. Once the flaws are detected, you should eliminate them and then create a new product design. Based on the new product design, build and test the prototype again. You need to repeat this process until you achieve a definitive product design.

Today, because of the advanced technologies, prototype development and testing have become virtual, in a 3D computer-generated world. Nevertheless, there are still instances when you need to develop and test physical prototypes to detect the flaws and make the final product better.

You will also need to build product prototypes to give it to people for their suggestions. Based on their suggestions, you may need to alter the product design and create new prototypes again. Of course, this is a tedious process, but it is vital to achieving a flawless product design.

There is nothing easy about product design. For successful product designs, massive skills and experience are needed; skills and experience like GID Development Corporation has.

We are one of the leading product design companies in California, USA. We have decades of experience in the field, and have delivered thriving product design solutions to our clients (inventors) in the US and worldwide.

Along with product design, we provide rapid prototyping, product development, product manufacturing, and other product fulfillment services. No matter how complex the product concept is, we will help you realize it. To learn more, visit http://www.gidcompany.com/.

Have any questions regarding product design? We are offering a 15-minute, FREE telephonic consultation. Just call Patrick at 714.528.2482 between 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM PST.

When it comes to plastic prototype development or plastic product manufacturing, it is useful to understand which material to use. Typically, there are two types of plastic materials: thermoplastic and thermosetting resin.

Thermoplastic materials are those that can be melted and cured (hardening the polymer material) again and again. There is, of course, a limit to the number of times such melting and curing process can be repeated, depending on the type of thermoplastic material. The point, however, is that such thermoplastic materials can be melted a number of times without degrading the material.

Thermosetting materials, on the other hand, are those that can be melted and shaped only once. After a thermosetting material is cured, trying to melt it again would cause the material to burn, rather than melt. Think of a 2-part epoxy to understand a thermosetting material. Before mixing with the hardener, the epoxy resin is in the liquid state. Once the resin is mixed and dried, it is not possible to heat and melt it again.

When it comes to plastic injection molding, it is easy to misjudge the importance of thermoplastic and thermosetting materials. By the way, both thermoplastic and thermosetting materials can be injection molded. The major difference, when using a thermoplastic or thermosetting material, applies after the injection molding cycle when the molded plastic solidifies. During the molding process, plastic is heated and injected into a metal mold. To get to the cavity of the metal mold, however, the molten plastic first needs to pass through an array of entry points and tunnels known as sprues, runners, and gates. The plastic cools within the mold cavity as well as inside the channels that lead to the mold cavity. The plastic that solidifies inside the channels is not the component or part of the final product. It is just a waste.

Now, what happens to the “waste” during plastic injection molding?

Thermoplastic Materials

If a thermoplastic material were used for injection molding, the waste could be recycled and used again. The solid plastic left within the sprues, runners and gates can be combined with the raw material that goes into the injection molding machine. The same thing can happen with the material from rejected plastic parts. All the waste plastic can be collected and recycled back to the onset of the process. This all sums up into higher efficiency, and eventually means, lower costs of the final product and better margin for the producer.

Thermosetting Materials

If a thermosetting material were used for injection molding, the solid plastic from the sprues, runners, and gates is simply a waste, which has no practical use whatsoever. This means that the cost of the final product will be more.

To conclude, thermoplastic materials offer some major benefits to plastic product manufacturers, consumers, and even the society, as such materials are recyclable. Indeed, when it comes to plastic prototype development or plastic product manufacturing, the manufacturer should choose and use thermoplastic materials.

At GID Development Corporation, along with top-quality product design, rapid prototyping, and product development, we provide high-class plastic product manufacturing services. We are an efficient product development company in California, USA, and provide a comprehensive service so that our clients can take their inventions, to the market easily. To ensure efficient bulk production of the novel inventions, which we help create with our product design, product prototyping, and product development services, we employ popular plastic product manufacturing techniques.

Prototype development of your conceived product is vital. A product prototype is the first physical form of an imagined product idea. It enables the inventor to actually touch and feel the perceived product. It also allows the inventor to perform various tests and make necessary changes to make the final product better. Not to forget, a product prototype is a proof of concept, enabling the inventor to pitch to potential stakeholders about the conceived product and attract more funds for the mass production.

When it comes to product prototype development, it is helpful to consider the various tools available and the different processes used for making different parts of a conceived product. Product prototype development can be carried out using one of the following three methods: 3D printing (additive manufacturing), CNC machining (subtractive manufacturing), and plastic injection molding.

3D Printing

3D printing or additive manufacturing is one of the rapid prototyping techniques that constructs 3D objects by successively depositing material in layers such that it becomes a predefined shape. In the past few years, contemporary 3D printing has been very successful for rapid prototype development, but it is gradually starting to make its impact on the product manufacturing realm as well.

CNC Machining

CNC machining or subtractive manufacturing is a technique that constructs 3D objects by successively cutting away the material from a block of solid material. Typically, a CNC machine is employed in order to cut away the material and give a definite shape. Modern CNC machines utilize several tools and cut at three axes to nine axes such that they minimize the need for operators to flip the block. One of the cardinal benefits of CNC machining is the ability to construct predefined metal parts swiftly and accurately. 3D printing, in the case of metal, does construct parts accurately, but it is relatively slower than CNC machining. Therefore, for those product prototypes that require both plastic and metal parts, it is useful to use 3D printing for plastic parts and CNC machining for metal parts.

Plastic Injection Molding

Plastic injection molding is a popular technique that constructs an object by injecting the material, with high pressure, into a mold. Once the product design engineers finalize the product design, definitive molds are made from either steel or aluminum, which are then fitted on the injection molding machine. The material is then fed into the machine, which passes through the mold and ejects as the predefined shape.

Which Method Should You Employ?

Each method is better suited for different situations. For instance, suppose you want to build a single product prototype just to get the feel of your conceived idea, run basic tests, and/or prove your concept to potential stakeholders. In such a case, if it is all plastic, you can employ 3D printing. If it is all metal, you can employ CNC machining. If it is an amalgamation of both plastic and metal, then you can employ 3D printing to produce plastic parts and CNC machining to produce metal parts. You can then assemble the plastic and metal parts to form the prototype and do whatever you wish to do with the prototype.

Now, suppose you want to create several identical product prototypes, which contain both plastic and metal parts, for consumer testing and market research. In such a case, you will need to employ plastic injection molding for plastic parts and CNC machining for metal parts. Plastic injection molding enables you to produce a moderate quantity of parts quite swiftly and economically. Once you have both the plastic and metal parts, you can assemble them to form several identical prototypes, which you can use for consumer testing and market research.

Despite the popular methods available, product prototype development can be tough, especially if you do not have a definitive product design for your conceived product. Besides, testing product prototypes and making them better are also some of the difficult challenges, which you may not be able to face it on your own. For that reason, it is sensible to partner with a product development company that employs different rapid prototyping techniques, including 3D printing, CNC machining, and plastic injection molding.

GID Development Corporation is a leading product design and product development company in the US. They offer quick and economical product design, rapid prototyping, product development, and other product fulfillment services to inventors in the US as well as across the globe. When it comes to product prototype development, experienced industrial engineers at GID Development Corporation first utilize the 3DEXPERIENCE platform from Dassault Systèmes, which includes tools like CATIA V6, 3DVIA, BIOVIA, SOLIDWORKS, etc., to create and test product designs virtually. After achieving a definitive product design, the skilled industrial engineers employ 3D printing, CNC machining, plastic injection molding, or a combination of these methods to produce accurate product prototypes. The engineers at GID Development Corporation also have the experience and in-depth knowledge that help them test the prototype and make it better.

So if you need help with product prototype development, just contact GID Development Corporation. Whether it is a simple prototype development, like for sports products, or an intricate prototype development, like for complex electromechanical products or medical products, GID Development Corporation will “GET IT DONE!”

To learn more about the leading product design and product prototype development company in the US, GID Development Corporation, visit http://www.gidcompany.com/.

Have any queries regarding product prototyping? Just call Patrick at 714.528.2482 between 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM PST, for a 15-minute FREE telephonic conference. He will answer to various questions regarding rapid prototyping, 3D printing, CNC machining, and plastic injection molding.